Area residents dig themselves out from Nemo

DOVER — Seacoast residents worked to unbury themselves from snowfall Sunday after the weekend's blizzard ripped through the area.

In Rye, the police department there reported the sea wall located along Route 1A from Hampton and North Hampton to Rye had been repositioned and there were no further issues. Portions of the barrier collapsed Saturday morning as 25- to 30-foot high waves pounded the shoreline and shale rock and boulders flooded the roadways on Ocean Boulevard. Officer Scott Sullivan however, said when high tide returned late that night around 10:45 p.m., there were no further problems he had been made aware of.

In downtown Dover, the community bustled with many shops reopening at their normal times. Some local shopkeepers said the storm was good for business beforehand, but in the aftermath, some wished the sidewalks could be cleared so more would venture to the center of town.

“We closed early Friday night, but we had a great turnout,” Manager of the Barley Pub Russ Graham said, adding Sunday afternoon was pretty slow with feet of snow piled outside their establishment, blocking the walking paths.

Over at Janetos Market, manager Gary Bandouveres said people bought all kinds of things before the storm and with the grocery store closed on Saturday in the storm, Sunday was fairly slow. He arrived at 2 a.m. to plow the parking lot Sunday morning.

“People out early to buy what they needed,” he said, referring to the previous week. “…But it was a blessing to not lose power.”

While hundreds of thousands of people lost power in Massachusetts, in the nor'easter the Weather Channel dubbed “Nemo,” only several hundred were without electricity Saturday throughout the Granite State.

Throughout the region, residents wandered outside to play in the snow and soak up a sunny day with some of the ice melting. The National Weather Service reports more stormy weather is one the horizon though, with rainfall expected midday Monday through Tuesday. In freezing temperatures, that could make much of the area icy and slippery, and put more pressure on residents' homes. Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh warned residents to shovel off their roofs early, before the rain, to be sure their homes are protected.

While some spent the day shoveling and others headed out for a day of wintery fun. Families were spotted sledding at Wagon Hill Farm in Durham and Garrison Hill in Dover. Across from Strafford Farms Restaurant in the Garrison City, many flocked to the Willand Pond Recreation Area for trail hiking and ice fishing. Dustin Horne helped his 4-year-old son Aiden get around the iced over pond by putting the boy up on his shoulders as they settled in for an afternoon of ice fishing.

The day was less fun for municipal workers who went into overdrive to clear the piles of snow. Dover police said while the emergency winter parking ban concluded over the weekend, another one may be put into effect in the coming days so the city Department of Public Works can clear the roads, Lt. Carey Beaulieu said.

Dover Fire Capt. David Lindh added firefighters worked to clear hydrants by shoveling out snow throughout the day Sunday, in between medical aid calls. Lindh said it appeared some people were looking to help out the crews by shoveling their neighborhood hydrants, which he said is always appreciated.

“The storm pretty much went off without a hitch,” Beaulieu added. “It snowed very heavily, but as far as any emergencies caused by the snow, there really wasn't any exception.”

The city of Rochester had a parking ban in effect that was lifted at 12 p.m. on Sunday while Portsmouth said they would begin snow clearing at 8 p.m. that night with a second shift to start at midnight.

Additionally, the Amtrak Downeaster train service resumed its schedule Sunday with a few modified routes, though some trains were canceled and routes to Massachusetts and Maine were altered.